The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
It is generally known to use certain selective herbicides with fertilizers. The combination is so useful that there are a number of products that combine selective herbicides with fertilizers, including for example Scott's Step 1 Crabgrass Preventer Plus Fertilizer which contains about 1.22% pendimethalin. For solid herbicides, this selective herbicide is either included in the fertilizer as a separate granular material admixed with the fertilizer or even as very small particulates of herbicide coating fertilizer granules, where said particulates are adhered to the fertilizer using a “white oil,” that is, an inert sticky oil. Said product has several drawbacks, including the need to mill solid herbicide to less than 10 microns, often as little as 1 micron, and the propensity of a small amount of the herbicide to wipe off and adhere to hands, clothes, or fertilizer spreaders.
What is needed is an alternative herbicide for combination with fertilizer for use on turf. Further, what is needed is a manufacturing process to prepare single applications of the selective herbicide/fertilizer mixture that addresses the issues of small herbicide particles disposed on larger granules.